RSSWhy Is Ohio State Getting Special Treatment From The NCAA?
March 8, 2011
Johnny Goodman - See all 177 of my articles
You knew it could not go away this quietly. Tattoo gate is alive and still well in Columbus Ohio. According to Yahoo Sports, Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel was informed that some of his players had sold memorabilia to the owner of a tattoo parlor more than eight months before the school said it was made aware of improper transactions.
Yahoo Sports, citing an unidentified source (shocker, when is the last time anyone reported their source in a scandalous story?), reports Tressel received information as early as April 2010 that players were selling items to Edward Rife, who owns Fine Line Ink Tattoos in Columbus.
Ohio State officials did not immediately respond to a requests for comment by the AP. – Again a big shocker here. They need to back pedal or more importantly call in Tressel this morning.
Ohio State Athletic Dept – So ummmmm Jim. You knew about the tattoo stuff way back in April last year???
The Vest – I cannot confirm nor deny that rumor.
OSAD – But Yahoo! Sports is claiming that you knew about this much earlier than you previously told us and we were only alerted by the US Attorney’s office last December. The NCAA who loves the Big Ten more than, well Dan Bebee loves Texas went kid gloves on us. They even allowed us to make a deal to let the guys all play in a bowl game but they had to cross their fingers and toes and “promise” to come back and play for us next year and not go professional or anything like that.
The Vest – Yeah I did not know anything earlier, I promise “wink wink, nod nod”
If it does come out that Tressel, or anyone at thuh Ohio State for that matter, had any knowledge or knew anything prior to this date in December, the punishment should be swift and fierce. Including ruling all players ineligible for the remainder of their college days as well as loss of scholarships, suspensions of coaches etc.
The NCAA is walking a fine line here. They essentially bust Cam Newton for one day, but then take off the gloves and do nothing. The Reggie Bush sage lasted 5 years but at least the penalties were harsh.
The NCAA needs to set an example that cheating, or breaking rules, in any way shape or form will not be tolerated whatsoever. Period end of Story.
Isn’t a school which calls itself “Thee” already laying the impetus for a crashing fall from grace due to improprieties. Or does the entire university, just like those players that trades gifts for ink fell that they are above the law in little Columbus, Ohio. It is amazing that the normally un-reserved Buckeye fans have been so quiet.
Nice job Bunkeyes. Nothing like tarnishing your program for the next decade or so if any more of this turns out to be true. And all over a bunch of tattoos that you are going to look at when you are in your 50’s and wonder ‘what the heck was I thinking”
At least your conference landed Nebraska, maybe that will turn away the problems for awhile.
Mar 08, 2011 @ 11:10:21
I am going to go way out on a limb here. I predict that this will go on for about 3 years, just enough time for all of the players involved to get into the NFL, the Tressle will move on to a pro gig. After all the violators are gone, the school will be penalized so that fan can remember the good old days when “the” Ohio State University was in contention for championships.
This may sound smug, but that is what happended at USC, SMU, Houston, and a few others with lesser penalties. The coaches and players do not have to pay, some of the coaches stay in the college ranks, but the penalties stay with the old school (where is the justice?).
Now I will not go on too much about violating the rules. I am a Texas graduate and fan. We have had our share of violations, but somehow have avoided big penalties. The joke use to be that SMU bought players, UT bought NCAA officials. I guess we will just have to wait and see.
Mar 09, 2011 @ 11:45:25
This seems like an obvious case for a harsh punishment. Coaches simply cannot be condoning activities that violate NCAA policy, and turning a blind eye suggest tacit approval. What ever happened to the concept of a coach being a leader of men? This is the example you want to set for impressionable 18 year old kids?
The NCAA seems to lack a “common sense” test when it comes to violations. Remember the Jeremy Bloom case? Bloom was a word class skier and a football player for Colorado. NCAA athletes are allowed to earn SALARIES from other sports (not rare for a guy to be a professional in baseball and an amateur in football – Kyle Parker is a recent example), but endorsement money is not allowed. The reasoning is that it could be difficult to tell if the athete is being paid for their prowess in their NCAA sport (not a good thing) or their other sport (not a problem). Except that in Bloom’s case, it was crystal clear. The endorsements were from ski equipment manufacturers, and Bloom’s reputation as a skier dwarfed his abilities as a football player (not a BAD player, per se, but not Heisman caliber).
Now situations like OSU, Cam Newton, and even Jeremiah Masoli, where the NCAA SHOULD crack down on the player/school and doesn’t.
What does the OSU scandal tell other student athletes? “If you get caught, we’ll suspend you for some meaningless early season games, but you can still play in bowl games.”